Remembering Her
by WizardWay
Summary: Rabastan reflects upon Lily Evans - her life and her death. Implied Rabastan/Lily. Written for the Rare Pair challenge on HPFC.


As Rabastan sat there alone, on that cold November night, he thought of her.

She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Coming to Hogwarts as a first year, he'd been scared out of his mind. Now, you have to understand, Lestranges are not _scared._ They could never be scared – their ancient bloodline demanded it. But Rabastan had been terrified. Some Lestrange he was.

But it all changed when he saw the girl sitting at the Gryffindor table as he stood up in the front, waiting to be sorted. She had gorgeous shining red hair and a brilliant smile. She was talking excitedly with a friend of hers, it seemed. Rabastan thought to himself as he stood there watching her, 'I'm going to marry her someday.'

But then he realized that she was a Gryffindor. He also realized that he didn't care. He wanted to be in Gryffindor.

But the blasted hat had other ideas, of course.

Later, during the feast, as Rabastan sat at the Slytherin table, he asked the sallow boy sitting next to him who the redheaded girl at the Gryffindor table was. He would have been afraid, but it looked like the other boy was looking at her, too, so he figured it was okay.

The boy, who he learned was Severus Snape, in the year above him, broke out a small smile. "That's Lily Evans," he told Rabastan. "She's my best friend. But don't go telling anybody that. See, she's a Mud…Muggle-born."

Rabastan frowned. His parents would never let him be with a Gryffindor Mudblood, of course.

But over Rabastan's years at Hogwarts, he looked at her. Watched her. He wanted her to notice him. Then, one day, when she was in her sixth year and he in his fifth, she did.

He was just about to leave Charms class when Professor Flitwick held him back.

"Mr. Lestrange, you're having trouble with even the simplest charms," the tiny professor squeaked. Rabastan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't like Charms, as you can see. "I'm afraid that if you don't improve soon, I'll have to set up a tutor for you."

Rabastan did roll his eyes now. "Sure, Professor, anything."

So, one week later, Rabastan entered the empty Charms room…well, empty save one person.

"Hello," Lily Evans greeted him pleasantly from behind a desk. She set down her novel as he walked in the door. "Are you Rabastan? I'm your tutor, Lily."

Rabastan could have dropped down on his knees and worshipped Professor Flitwick.

For the rest of that year, Lily and Rabastan worked on Charms together. They got along – Rabastan didn't call her a Mudblood, and she didn't call him Slytherin scum – They were actually friends of a sort. They never talked outside of lessons. After all, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin could not be seen together.

They had more in common than they realized. They both loved Potions class; they both thought that Valentine's Day was a pathetic greeting card holiday, and they both thought that the Marauders (a group of arrogant Gryffindor boys that played childish pranks), were absolute idiots.

But the next year, Lily was Head Girl and Rabastan was passing in Charms class. They didn't see each other at all – save for when Rabastan would go with the rest of the Slytherins to curse the younger years and the Gryffindors. Once, it was Lily they tried to curse.

They came across her patrolling the fifth floor corridor. Mulciber, one of Rabastan's friends in the year above him, sent a tripping jinx at her. She dodged it and shot the disarming charm at him. Mulciber, not quick enough to avoid it, wand was shot out of his hand.

Lily then turned to Avery, Snape, and Rabastan. She hexed each one of them. They didn't get a spell in edgewise. She was obviously one of the most experienced spell-casters in the school. Rabastan didn't miss the hurt look in her eyes as she walked away.

Rabastan didn't see Lily again after that, only in the halls of Hogwarts between classes. Sometimes Lily would look at him for a moment – but then turn away, wiping her eyes. Two weeks after the incident, Lily started going out with James Potter.

Rabastan hated James Potter. Or maybe it wasn't hate, but jealousy.

Later that year, Rabastan took the Dark Mark with Avery, Mulciber, Snape, Barty Crouch, and Regulus Black. He knew Lily had joined the Order of the Phoenix, the force fighting against them. He wished she was a Death Eater with him.

And now she was dead. His master – _his master_ – murdered her in cold blood. And her son, with James bloody Potter, had survived, killing Lord Voldemort.

He had nothing now. Absolutely nothing. Lily was dead – he could not return to her. The Dark Lord – was he dead as well, or only hiding?

Lily was gone. Rabastan stood up. He'd contact his brother and his wife. They had to find out if Lord Voldemort was truly gone.

Because if he was, then Rabastan was gone, too.

_Goodbye, Lily,_ Rabastan thought as he went to find his cohorts.


End file.
